God speaks to man. He has been speaking to mankind since the dawn of time. He has revealed many truths and inspired thoughts to prophets throughout all the ages. God has revealed to mankind many miraculous truths that the mortal mind cannot comprehend without divine intervention. Perspective of Deity seen through the manifestation of His Spirit.
These prophets saw the earth and all of the inhabitants thereof through the power of the Spirit for they discerned them through the Spirit. How else could they perceive innumerable inhabitants of this earth, numbering greater than the sands of the sea. Many saw us in our day. They saw us through the Spirit. Man, independent of God can only "focus" on one thing at a time. Our mortal lives trap us in linear thought. Through the Spirit, man can be ejected from the constraints of his mortal senses and see things as God sees them. For all things are continually before His face. He can perceive all things, all the time, for God lives "outside" of time. He lives "in" eternity. He is not subject to time for time is subject to God and His laws. Through the Spirit, God can reveal things to mankind that, in mortality, he would not otherwise be able to comprehend for the human mind cannot comprehend the world around him in a sense of being "ever before his face". He cannot internalize every aspect of the environment around him in the now let alone through all eternity. Even if we could, we would still be constrained by the limits of our own senses and understanding.
God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ are not as mortal men. They are not subject to the same limitations that we have placed upon ourselves. They are not subject to their physical bodies and senses. Their bodies and senses are subject to Them. They command them and they have been adapted to their truest form.
One could be forgiven for thinking that the Lord and His atonement was so large and took place over such a short period of time, that it could not have possibly taken into account the personal sufferings, struggles, trials and sins of each individual. They then consign themselves to be members of the masses and all but overlooked in the grand scheme of eternal truths and purposes. This is untrue and a deplorable falsehood that is perpetuated by the adversary, the lover of lies. The atonement of Jesus Christ was infinite and complete. He suffered independently and individually for sins. Not for Sin, but for sins; all of them. Through the Spirit of God, Christ was able to place Himself in our presence, during our suffering and suffer with us and for us. The atonement was performed while Christ was in the world but not of the world. He was elevated to a higher realm. This perspective assaulted Him, Jesus Christ, and led Him on a torturous path across the ages, simultaneously partaking of the experiences of imperfect, sinful, blasphemous lives. All carried by Him who knew no sin. Attempting to realize these occurrences for a single individual causes your mind ache and your soul to weep. Multiply that times the sands upon the seashore, then realize that you are incapable of comprehending the depth and breadth of His suffering.
Jesus Christ's sacrifice did not equate to the worst pain ever felt by man plus paying the price for the worst sin to be committed by man and thus being effectual for all other lesser pains and lesser sins. Jesus affirms this in the book of Matthew. "For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:35-40)
How is that possible? Why is that possible? Its possible in that you have removed suffering from the world of righteous men. As the Lord and Savior of mankind moved through the ages in experiencing and "taking upon Himself" the pains and sufferings of His people, your acts of kindness alleviated, or removed, suffering from an individuals life thus eliminating it from the Saviors mission. Likewise, when suffering is inflicted or allowed to endure in one of Christ's children, the suffering of the Savior is condoned and He is offered up on the alter of Gethsemane and Golgotha on behalf of those involved (one who suffers as victim, another who suffers through sin).
Many people focus on the suffering and justifying aspects of the atonement. Though that is an important, vital principle of the atonement, it does not end there. It is true, Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross at Golgotha, as previously mentioned though He did it for a purpose. Christ atoned that He might draw all men unto Him. That through Him, we may be perfected and exalted and return to live in glory with Him and Heavenly Father in eternity. While there is great need to self identify and accept that we depend upon the Savior and His atonement to overcome our sins and transgressions, this is as milk to a child in the journey towards spiritual maturity. Don't get me wrong, it is an exceptional victory to identify with the fact that we are of a fallen nature and need Christ's forgiveness and His atoning blood on our behalf in order to be "saved in the kingdom of God". It is necessity and requires constant reminding (hence weekly sacraments) though this is only the tip of the iceberg. God our Father offers us so much more than this. I am living way below my potential.
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